"I bow to the divine light within you."
Prince Charles, accompanied by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and French president Emmanuel Macron greet one another with a ‘namaste’ in London on June 18. Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
"Hands over the heart in prayer pose. A little bow of the head. A gesture of respect. An acknowledgment of our shared humanity. And no touching.
"As people the world over are choosing to ditch the handshakes and hugs for fear of contracting the coronavirus, namaste is becoming the perfect pandemic greeting."
"...For many American yoga teachers, beginning most likely with Ram Dass in the 1960s and 1970s, namaste means something like 'the divine light in me bows to the divine light within you.'”
"...However, there are critics who say that global yogis have taken namaste out of its context. Some claim that the greeting has been infused with a religious meaning that doesn’t exist in Indian culture."
(Yet) "Many common salutations have religious roots, including adios, or 'a Dios, to God, and goodbye – a contraction of 'God be with you.'”
Article: Why ‘Namaste’ Has Become the Perfect Pandemic Greeting